City Will Still Stop And Smell The Roses

Deputy Mayor Shelley Rinehart isn't against stopping to smell the flowers--this after she got a little heat from local florists for suggesting the city make memorial donations instead. 

Rinehart says she's definitely not anti-flowers--rather, she just doesn't want to see city staff waste time on unnecessary frills when a donation can be done instantly.
 
Rinehart points out not only are donations more lasting than flowers, but they can also be managed in an instant.

CFB Gagetown Receives National Project

A national project and investment will be coming to CFB Gagetown.

Defense Minister Peter MacKay announcing today the Canadian Forces Weather and Oceanographic Service (CFWOS) Transformation project. The project will stretch across the country but will center around CFB Gagetown, CFB Halifax and CFB Esquimalt.

The Joint Meteorological Centre will centralize weather briefing and forecasting functions, allowing personnel to develop new and improved weather specific products for the Department of National Defense and the Canadian Forces.

The transformation will expand the former Army Meteorological Centre at CFB Gagetown, and renovations the existing Meteorological and Oceanographic Centres at CFB Esquimalt and CFB Halifax.

The construction work in Gagetown will be done by Saint John construction company Maxim 2000. It's scheduled to be done by June 2014.

Lobster Strong As Ever In The Province

Everyone from retailers, harvesters to scientists and members of government are at the Science Workshop on Sustainable Growth of Atlantic Lobster in Moncton.

Chair of the Science Community Mike Chadwick tells CHSJ news the workshop offers members of the lobster industry to learn about enhancing lobster populations and the sustainability of seafood. Chadwick says we have a strong population of lobster in the province, and we're a major player in the industry.

He says lobster generates about a billion dollars into the economy. He also adds lobster landings are as high today as they were thirty years ago.

The Atlantic Lobster Sustainability Foundation funds private lobster studies around the Maritimes. The Science Workshop runs until tomorrow.

10th Anniversary Of Pride Plans

As other Pride Weeks kick off around the Maritimes, Saint John Pride Week is preparing some big stuff for their 10th anniversary.

President Brian Boyd tells CHSJ news along with bringing back favorites like the Drags VS Lesbian baseball game and the Pride Parade, they're expanding the event by making it more family oriented.

Boyd also adds their going to have a new coffee house for teenagers to display singing and artwork. Their grand marshal for the parade will also be unique, Boyd says their theme is anti-bullying, so anyone who's ever felt bullied will have the chance to be the grand marshal.

Saint John Pride Week kicks off August 19th.

For more information or to volunteer, click here.

Activists Protest Threats To Our Oceans

St Andrews activists getting together to protest cuts to ocean scientists under The Harper government's bill C-38. Caroline Davies of the group SOS tells CHSJ News without long term research, we can't know the best ways to protect our oceans.

She says we all want out children and grandchildren to be able to enjoy the ocean the way we do today.

Save Our Ocean will be rallying at 5:30 tomorrow at Indian Point to form a human SOS, for "Support Ocean Science". The rally and photo are intended to raise concern about the federal cuts that will, among other cuts across the country, close the St Andrews Biological Station Library, eliminate the Contaminants and Toxicology program, and severely cut the Habitat program.

Norton Suggests Online Crime Reporting

You could soon have the option to use a website rather than the phone to report minor crimes...common councillor Greg Norton says he'd like to see Saint John look into an online crime reporting service, where citizens could lodge complaints about issues like graffiti, car thefts and mischief in an uploaded format.

Norton says letting people report less serious crimes on the web would free up the police lines and keep more cops on the street.

Norton says a number of other municipalities are using such systems with great success--and the best part is, it's easy to administer and tweak as necessary. 

Meantime, Stats Canada is reporting the crime rate for 2011 in Saint John fell by 14 per cent.

Police Commission Invited To Comparison Shop

The New Brunswick Police Association is scoffing at the suggestion the RCMP would have kept the Bacchus Motorcycle gang from setting up in Saint John.

Association President Dean Secord says Bacchus is actually headquartered in Albert County with a branch in St. George which are both within the RCMP's jurisdiction.

Secord is also not bothered by any talk of the RCMP taking over policing in the city saying he's heard it all before and welcomes the Police Commission shopping around.


Secord claims, in Moncton, the RCMP costs more money with fewer officers than when that city had a municipal police department.

VIDEO: Albert Street Blaze

Low Flying Aircraft Creates A Buzz

A few raised eyebrows especially on the west side this morning as what sounded like a low flying aircraft zoomed overhead.

Some people thinking it was some kind of military aircraft or a plane in distress because of the unusual whining sound of the engines as it crossed over west around 7.

CHSJ News checked with the Saint John airport - a spokesperson tells us there were two commercial flights departing for Halifax and Montreal between 6:30 and 7 - a check of the logs also shows there were a couple of private flights departing during that period as well.

The airport official says they are not aware of any flights reported in distress - and - suggest it was probably a pilot trying to avoid some active weather -- the west side was drenched by a heavy downpour of rain shortly after they mystery plane flew over the area.

Morning Commute On Harbour Bridge Ground To A Halt

There was a real mess this morning along the Harbour Bridge at the height of the morning rush hour just after 7:30.

There was a mishap involving a transport truck on the Harbour Bridge when it jackknifed and wound up on the top of the median. This caused traffic to back up both ways because a light standard also came down which stopped traffic going in the opposite direction.

Traffic could not move either eastbound or westbound.

The fire department has responded because of a fuel leak from the truck.

The transport was towed away after 10:00 this morning and the Department of Transport had to remove the light pole.

A Dire Evaluation Of City Pension Plan

With the average Canadian saving just $55,000 in RRSPs, Common Council has an interest in keeping the city's pension plan sustainable....That, from the chair of the Task Force on Protecting Pensions Susan Rowland. 

She laid out the benefits of a shared risk model while explaining to Councillor David Merrithew the precarious position of the city's pension plan means solving the deficit won't be easy. Rowland describes the city's pension plan as being one of the worst funded in the province.
 
Councillor Bill Farren says he doesn't know if they'll achieve the results either, but perhaps a shared risk model will take the pressure of younger workers and give more stability to older ones.